The curious debate over whether the Montana Legislature should pass so-called “nullification” bills has largely focused on whether the federal government is encroaching too far on individual and state rights. But our elected officials continue to prove that their arguments for passing such legislation are at once selective and biased. Those pushing for nullification of […]

I’d like to offer a counter viewpoint to Mike Jopek’s column (March 23 Beacon: “Failed Rhetoric”) regarding the recent budget struggles in Wisconsin. This isn’t about political parties. It’s about logic. First, he points out that Michael Moore, the filmmaker, “challenged the network news to just once iterate that the richest 400 people in America […]

A point of contention at this legislative session is money. So what is new you may ask. The legislative sessions are always filled with arguments concerning the amount and direction of how to spend the public’s money. Any and every organization that is on the public dole tries to convince the majority of the legislators […]

Yesterday, an email from one of my favorite software businesses arrived in my inbox. I’ve used and liked this small piece of business utility software for at least a decade. Not many programs can make that claim. Lately, they’ve been emailing me pretty frequently. This particular email offered a free copy of the latest version if […]

It becomes more and more apparent that corporate politicians are doing the bidding for multinational corporations. Our political landscape has drastically changed, with middle class workers left on the sidelines. The debate appears less about Democrats versus Republicans, though there are plenty of glaring differences between the parties. Today’s debate is historically reflective of middle […]

I’m very concerned about members of the Montana Legislature and Congress who are working to undermine our environmental protections, including the Clean Air Act. These leaders use the excuse that environmental regulations hurt the economy and are bad for business. As a Montana businessperson, I disagree. Having 30 years experience in the air conditioning, heating […]

Some of our online readers were taken aback by preliminary discussions on the feasibility of building a civic center or arts venue in Kalispell. It didn’t help that our story on the subject was published at about the same time we reported city firefighters may be laid off because an arbitrator ruled that they were […]

I found the words “job killing” in the sentence “… one of the top job-killing problems in the state: workers’ compensation costs” in Joe Bennion’s recent guest (March 9 Beacon: “Legislature Delivering on Job Bills”) to be in poor taste. I’m sure Bennion is aware Montana has the highest per capita rate of on-the-job fatalities […]

During the state elections in late 2010, the mantra from candidates was clear: Nearly all touted the value of real-world business experience and reliance on common sense politics. Why then has the Legislature focused nearly 90 bills on attacking the thriving outdoor jobs economy and on reducing your access to hunting and fishing? Nearly every […]

Henry Ford, despite his success with the assembly line at Ford Motor Company, made a mistake that many business owners still make today. He didn’t delegate. Most business owners delegate at least a little. Not Ford. According to Peter Drucker, the senior Ford didn’t believe in delegation or floor management and it cost him plenty. […]

The “Save the North Fork” crowd must be overjoyed. The road-pavers were sent packing, the loggers sued and burnt off, the Canuck coal miners bribed to go away, and now the gas lessees are, according to a timeline proudly posted by Sen. Max Baucus’s office, “voluntarily” giving up. A great victory, right? Um, maybe not. […]

Eighteen months after it started, the city of Roseville, Calif., voted to stop billing for their fire department’s response to traffic accidents. Amazingly, the recommendation to terminate the billing was made by the fire chief – the recipient of the money! He stated three major reasons: (1) the safety of his firefighters, (2) the safety […]

It’s much easier for those of us with jobs to demand that budgets be cut, spending reduced and pork exorcized than it is for us to think about the people who will lose their jobs when that happens. It’s only partly about unions, which is synonymous with a swear word around many dinner tables. In […]

One might suggest federalization and unionization has resulted in the almost total destruction of education. Our children lack basic skills and knowledge – especially critical thinking. The current system is all geared to bloated administration and selfish interests of the National Education Association. We have replaced PE in many places to accommodate such socialized agenda […]

When the Legislature came to town in early January, it seemed clear that jobs would be the No. 1 issue of the session. Now that the Legislature is past the halfway point, this is a good time to reflect on how the people’s branch is doing on that key issue. In just two months, the […]